The U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced sanctions against an international network involved in the illegal supply of weapons from Russia and stolen Ukrainian grain to the Houthi group in Yemen.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said this in a press release published on Wednesday, Ukrinform reports.
“Today, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took action against a network of Houthi financial facilitators and procurement operatives working in coordination with Sa’id al-Jamal, a senior Houthi financial official backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF),” the press release reads.
According to the statement, this network has procured tens of millions of dollars’ worth of commodities from Russia, including weapons and sensitive goods, as well as stolen Ukrainian grain, for onward shipment to Houthi-controlled Yemen.
Additionally, OFAC has identified eight digital asset wallets used by the Houthis to transfer funds associated with their activities.
The sanctions target Afghan businessman Hushang Ghairat and his brother Sohrab Ghairat, who reside in Russia and assist the Houthis in obtaining weapons from there. In the summer and fall of 2024, the brothers orchestrated at least two shipments of stolen Ukrainian grain from Crimea to Yemen on board the Russia-flagged AM THESEUS, also known as the ZAFAR.
Sanctions were also imposed on Hong Kong-based AM Asia M6 Ltd, the registered owner, ship manager, and operator of the AM THESEUS, as well as Russian nationals Vyacheslav Vidanov and Yuri Belyakov, who served as captains of the vessel at different times when it was used to transport stolen grain.
U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier stated that the Tehran regime was supplying weapons and finances to the Houthis in Yemen and directing their operations in the region.
Source: U.S. sanctions network supplying Houthis with weapons, stolen Ukrainian grain
